We love Dark Souls for many reasons, but in particular the team is looking at its use of death, recovery, and risk to create tension in all moments of the game. We're aiming to make our in game currency a valuable resource and emphasize the risk of losing it and wagering it for further gains down the road.

We're discussing different types of items right now. The relics (subweapons), are permanent additions to your arsenal and will likely not be lost. We are also trying out the idea of "antiques", treasures which rise in value the longer you hold on to them but can shatter on death.

The relics sound awesome, would they be limited use weapons and get refilled at checkpoints? I definitely love the idea of "antiques" though, it would add a complete fear of death (for me at least)

All the best and I hope development is coming along great, all the best guys.

The relics are tied to a universal pool of magic, with all enemies having a chance to drop a little bit of extra additional ammunition (in addition to to those found in the level). They are probably our most flexible system in the game, letting you get a little extra leeway in an area that might be a bit tricky by itself.

And thank you! It's been a lot of fun to tackle a game like this -- I hope you enjoy Shovel Knight if you do choose to try it out!